Portable cleaning machine



Aug. 26, 1930. A. w. HOLMES H AL 1,774,326

PORTABLE CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "'FIPT L INVENTORJ,

ATTORNEYSL Aug. 26, 1930. A. w. HOLMES ET POBTABLE CLEANING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8; 1926 2 Sheets-Shut Z TIE Q- LUMIHIHIIIIIIII |||I l ATTORNEYS, l

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 K D STATES N OFFICE.

ARTHUR w. HOLMES, or vnnnnnsnnne, DONALD E. aAonEs, OETHORNTOWN, Ann

' HENRY 12.00am, on vnnnnnsnona'mnmna PORTABLE CLEAN IN G MACHINE Application filed February 8, 1926. Serial No; 88,912.

This invention relatestoa portable power operable cleaning machine. a

The chief object of this invention is to clean and disinfect debris laden trays in a most expeditiousmanner through the use of m .a portable power operable cleaning machine.

The several features of the invention consist in the portability of the machine, the.

power operable mechanism for cleaning trays received by the machine, the tray handling mechanism, the disinfecting mechanism, the anchoring mechanism for the machine and the debris collecting anddisoharge mechanism. y The full nature-of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and cla1ms: a In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe entire machine showing several of the partsin open position to illustrate other parts- Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the invention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the invention. j Fig. 4 is a top plan a view of the tray receiver with the clamping mechanism. Fig, 5 is a perspective view'of the tray. F ig. 6 is an end view ofa tray, clamping mechanism in tray releasing .posi- .tion. 7 Fig. is a similar view of the same mechanism in thetray clamping position. Fig. 8 is aside elevational view of an operat {ing mechanism for the clamping mechanism and is' taken atright angles to Figs.6-,and7.'

F ig. 9. is an elevational View of a modified form of the invention. ,Fig.10 is a, perspective view of the front end of the'cleaner and of a modified form thereof.

I In the/drawings 10 indicatesa'framework, v-

whichunlessotherwise specified, issubstantially enclosed forming a compartmentand which issupported' by the wheelsll and the cast-er wheels 12, A pair oftoggle levers 13 are pivotally supported atone end at 11 on the framework and are connected atthe other end by link 15 to a common plunger 16 connected by a link 17 to a lever handle 18 pivot- 'ally supported in the bracket 19, Each'of thejtoggle'levers 13 carries a connection 20 with'a lockingrod'fzl that-is slidably supror dsin t compartment vehicle against usshaped brackets 22. Thus when the handle is depressed, the plunger 16 is depressed which causes the locking rod 21 to engage thefioor or earth and anchor the movement. Mounted on the top of the compartment is an electric motor 23 which herein is shown provided with. adriv'ing pinion Qtand a drivingchain or belt 25 meshes with a gear 26 carried by shaft 27, the entire driving mechanism being externally positioned and exposed, but protectedbythe guard 28. A standard 29 has a hinge connection 30 per mittingit to be knocked down for portability and clearance purposes, and said standard supports in swivel relation a pulley wheel 31 which is yieldingly and rotatably mounted and carries a suitable amount of cable 32, one end of which is connected to the motor 23 for energizing the same and. the other end of whichcarries a fitting 33 for connection to the standard supply socket, whereby power;

for. the motor is obtained from the. usual wiring; p g

A suitable tray supporting framework comprises apair of side members'35connected together by the transverse portions 36, and the side members. 35 areextended as at 37 .and terminate in handles. The framework just described, shown most clearly in Figs.

.3 and i, is slidably supported in the guideways 38. and when theframework is seated in the compartment as shown'in Fig. 1, said handlesccnstitute a means for pushing and guiding-the vehicle from place to place if desired. 4 I

vAdjustably but rotatably mounted within ,the compartm'entin the supporting. brackets 40 isawire or steelbristle roller el which is ably receivable. The entire compartment hasan inclined face 43 and a pair of faces 7 Aajand .15 which are connected together by the segmehtalportions 46. Said tiltable self cleaning, and the same is mounted adf jacent the aperture ;421 through which the. .traysupporting framework 3536,is slid aperture {18. .Thefllatch- 49- is adapted to x whereby the hopper com letely closes the same. Debris discharged 'y the brush collects by gravity in the tiltable hopper previously described, and when the hopper is tilted upwardly and outwardly, that portion which is collected on the bottom is discharged on to the side near the bottom forming position, whereupon the same may be readily shoveled from the hopper. Substantially all of the debris is discharged into the hopper by reason of the inclined portion 74.3.

In Fig. 8 a modified form of the invention is illustrated and in this form of the invention the electric motor 123 includes a bevelled gear 12 which drives a shaft 125 terminating in a worm 125 meshing with a worm wheel 126 on the shaft 12. mounting the roller or brush 41. A guard 128 is associated with the foregoing mechanism and protects the operator from the same.

The tray to be cleaned consists of a bottom 50, a pair of side walls 51 and an end wall 52. The tray supporting framework comprising the transverse elements and 36, includes a plurality of spaced tray supporting memhers 58. The tray supporting framewor I previously described, is retracted as shown in Fig. 3, and positioned upon the same and locked thereon by the mechanism hereinafter described is the tray. Pressure upon the handles 37 following anchorage or locking of the vehicle into position, causes the tray to be passed beneath the brush and to be cleaned thereby, the excretion and debris being dis- "rharged into the hopper bottom previously described. In order to prevent fouling of the compartment and to simultaneously disinfect the tray, a hopper-like compartment '56 is provided having a corrugated roll 57 mounted in the discharge end thereof, and said roll 57 is driven by shaft 58 on which is mounted a pulley 59 driven by a belt 80 which is driven by a shaft 27, so brush is rotated for cleaning, the corrugated roller 57 will be rotated to supply disinfectant in the form of crushed lime or lime powder to the tray, thus the lime and the debris and excretion will be brushed from the tray and collected by the hopper bottom of the compartment, thus preventing fouling of the contents of the compartment until such time as the same can be removed. Upon the return movement of the tray and the tray supporting mechanism the brush polishes the part previously cleaned and as the tray is withdrawn, a coating of lime or disinfectant material is deposited on the tray, keeping the tray disinfected as well as clean. The cages for holding chickens and the like prior to shipment or dressing are each provided with a bottom tray to receive the waste products, and it is the tray which is removed in the cleaning process.

The means for'loeking the tray is as fol- I a comparison of Figs. 6 and 7,

nism in the released that when the lows: the same being shown in Figs. 2 to 8 inclusive. In said figures there is illustrated a hand lever 60 pivotally mounted at 61 on one of the handles 37. This is in the form of a bell crank, in turn connected by a link 62 to a bell crank 63 pivotally mounted in a bracket 64 carried by the outermost transverse member 36. Bell crank 63 is connected by a link 65 to a lever 66 pivotally supported at 67 upon the member T he lever 66 includes an offsetportion 68 which as shown by is adapted to clamp the edge 52 of the tray to the supporting framework slidably supported in the compartment. Another lever 166 having the same type of clamping extension 168 is pivotally'sup ported at 167 and is connected by the link 165 to the link 66. A spring 70 has one end anchored to lever 166 and the other end suitably anchored to the framework such as by or at pivot 67. Thus the spring 70 normally maintains the tray clamping mechaposition and maintains the handle 60 in the elevated position. \Vhen it is desired to clamp the tray and operate thereon, that is clean it and disinfect it, the handle 60 is depressed during the time that the tray supporting mechanism is projected into the compartment and withdrawn therefrom while supporting the tray.

In addition to the handles previously described, suitable handles 100 are also provided whereby the vehicle may be pulled as well as pushed from place to place. The tray supporting framework cannot be retracted while the vehicle remains unanchored due to the position of lever 18.

In Fig. 10 the compartment is indicated generally by the numeral 110, the opening by he numeral 1 18, the closure by the numeral lfflc, the hinge mounting 1&7, the combination handle and lock by the numeral 149 and in this form of the invention the bottom of the container 1 15 is not connected to the closure 14A, and therefore, is not tiltable with said closure. The hopper-like bottom previously described is nevertheles utilized so that when the closure lft l is released and lowered access is had to the compartment for removing the debris collected therein and by the hopperlike bottom.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a cleaning construction, the combination of a movable support, means for clamping an article to the support for movement therewithwhile cleaning, said means comprising a plurality of clamping levers, a manually operable lever for actuating the same, and yielding means for maintaining said clamping levers in one position, said manually operable lever being manually movable in opposition to said yielding means for moving the clamping levers into the opposite position.

2. A cleaning device having a frame,

with

removal of an article to be cleaned, means within said frame for cleaningsuch article, wheels on which the frame is mounted to render the device portable, anchorage means mounted on said frame so that when depressed it will engage the floor, ground and the like and hold the device stationary, and meansmounted on the front of said frame and operatively connected with the anchorage means that obstructs said opening in the frame and prevents the insertion and removal of an article when the anchorage means does not engage the floor, ground and the like and will free said opening when the anchorage is in its downward locking position. 3. A cleaning device, substantlally as set forth in claim 2, said anchorage means consisting of a pair of vertically movable bars,

.reans on the frame for mounting each of said bars so that it will be movable vertically, substantially horizontally disposed levers pivoted at their ends to said frame and intermediate their ends to said anchorage bars, a vertically disposed bar pivotedto the inner end of said levers and mounted on said frame so as to be vertically movable, and av hand lever pivoted to the front of the frame in position to engage the upper end of said vertically movable bar and operate it, substan tially as set forth.

l. A cleaning device having a frame,

wheels for'mounting the frame so that the device will be portable, anchorage means mounted on said frame and vertically movableto engage the floor, ground and the like for holding the device stationary, a platform movable into and out of the said frame through the front side thereof for supporting an article thereon while being cleaned, and means mounted on the front of the frame for operating said anchorage means, which,

when the anchorage means is in its upper position, obstructs the movement of said plat-' form when the anchorage means 1s in raised positlon, and, when the anchorage means is in its downward locking position permits the operation of said platform.

' 5. A cleaning device substantially as set forth in claim 4, said anchorage means consisting of a pair of rods, means on the frame for mounting said rods so that they are vertically movable, levers pivoted at their-ends to said frame, and between their ends to said anchorage bars, a bar pivotally connected with the inner ends of said levers, and a hand lever pivoted to said frame immediately below the said platform and connected with the upper end of said last mention-ed bar so that form can be slipped in and out of the frame while theanchorage means holds the device stationary and cannot be slipped in or out of the same when the hand lever is in its upper position and the anchorage means elevated;

,6. A cleaning machine having va frame, a horizontally disposed pan supporting member mounted in said frame so it will be slidable therein, adapted to support a pan with its inner end open, removable means on said supporting member for holding the pan thereon, a cleaning brush rotatably mounted on the frame above and in position to engage the pan for cleaning the same, and means for driving said brush so that the portion engaging the pan will sweep inwardly and discharge the contents of the pan through the open inner end thereof, the frame for receiving said contents as it is discharged from the pan.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto af- I the hand lever will project into the path of V the platform when the anchor rods are in theirupper position and prevent operat10n of the platform, and will not be in the path 7 of the. platform when the anchor rods are down in holding position, whereby said plat-- and a receptacle in 

